Improvement in curtain-fixtures



e. esce'TT.

Improvement in Curtain Fixtures.

Patented Feb. 27, 1872.

FnANCrS B. SCOTT, or LANCASTER, NEW YORK.

IMPRVEIVIENT IN CURTAIN-FIXTURES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 124,088, dated February 27 1872; antedated February 9, 1872.

SPECIFICATION.

I, FRANCIS B. SCOTT, of the town ot' Lancaster, county ot Erie and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Curtain-Fixtures, ot' which the following is a speciiication:

My improvements relate more particularly to such tixtures designed for supporting large or heavy window-shades, for which purpose the tension device of the ordinary endless cord is insuiiicient and not always reliable. My invention consists, tirst, in the particular construction and arrangementot a sliding springpawl, with a bearing at thc end of the supporting-bracket, and with ratchets cast in the interior ot' a flange. of one of the end plates attached to the curtain-roller, whereby the roller is securely held against unwiuding, while it is readily released t'or lowering the curtain by pulling on a cord suspended from the said spring-pawl, the curtain being raised and lowered by an endless cord and pulley in the usual manner. Second, in the arrangement of a pulley ot' a curtain-roller with the ratchets and journal cast therewith in such a manner that said pulley will project outwardly over the ratchets and journals and bearings, so as to economize space, as hereinafter fully described. Third, in the construction and arrangement ot' a spring-hook with the bracket or bearing at the opposite end ofthe roller, for holding the endot'thelatterinits bearingagainstaccidental displacement. Fourth, in the combination and arrangement, with the supporting-bracket of a. curtain-roller, ot' a cast angle-piece or tlangc capable ot' being readily secured to the former by rivets or otherwise, s'o as to enable the said bracket to be attached to the side or to the front ofthe window-casing, as may be required. Fit'th, in the construction and arrangement, in the ilange of the supporting-bracket of a curtain-roller, of slots or elongated Screw-holes, provided with a series of countersunk recesses for the reception ot` the screw-heads, t-o facilitate the adjustment ot' the bracket on the window-casing, as hereinafter more fully explained.

In the accompanying' drawing, Figure I is an end elevation ot the roller, showing the brackct-bearing and pulley with ratchets and sliding-pawl. Fig. II is a front sectional elevation of roller and n'xture. Fin'. III is a cross-section of a roller, showing the manner of Seoul# ing the journal-plates to the end of the roller. Fig. IV is a detached view ot' a supportingbracket. Fig. 'V is a detached view of the angle-piece used in connection with the supporting-bracket.

Like letters of reference designate like parts in each of the. figures.

A is an Ordin ary wooden roller, to which the shade is attached, and on which it is rolled in elevating it. B is a plate secured to one end ot' the rollers, cast with the pulley I) for the endless cord C, and with the journal b1 and ratchets b3. The portion of this plate in which the groove of the. pulley b is t'ormed projects outward beyond the face ofthe plate, so as to Overlap and inclose the ratchets and journal, as shown in Fig. Il. D is abracket, forming the bearing and support for the end Ot' the roller, to which the plate B is attached. It is formed in two partsnamely, the bracket proper D and the anglepiece or liange H, the latter being arranged at right angles to the former, and secured thereto by rivets or otherwise. Both parts are provided with slots or elongated screw-holes It for the passage ofthe fasteningscrews, which slots are constructed with a series ot countersunk recesses, h', for the reception ofthe screw-heads. In hanging windowshades, especially l'or large windows, it is essential that the bearings for the end of the roller be nicely adjusted in order that the shade may hang vertically and properly lit the window. To accomplish this the position of one ot' the bearings or brackets is frequently required to be changed after they have been secured in place, which is sometimes quite difiicult, as the new holes for the fastening-screws are, in such cases, required to be made so close to the former ones as to cause the wood between the holes to break, and thus destroy the bearing or hold for the screw-threads, besides involving the labor ot' taking down the shade, plugging up the old holes, and forming new ones. In adjusting a shade provided with my improved fixtures the brackets are first secured by a single screw, passing through the slots in as nearly the proper position as can be deterv mined by ordinary measurement. If the shade now hangs untrue the fastening-screw of one or both brackets are slightly loosened so as to withdraw the head from the countersunk recess h, in which it is fitted, when the bracket can be readily adj usted by slidin git up or down, as required, so as to bring a different recess, h', to coincide with the screw-head, when, by driving in the screw, the fixture is held in this new position without chan gin g the position of the screw itself'. rIhe other screws are now inserted, and the attachment oftheiixture is coinplete. Vhen the bracket is to be fastened to the front face ofthe window-casing the angle piece H is riveted to the bracket properD and the brackets secured in place by screws passed through the holes in the angle-piece. If circumstances do not admit ofthe bracket being secured to the front of the window-casing, it can be secured to the side thereof by dispensing with the angle-piece H and passing` the fastening-screws through the holes formed in the bracket D. By thus forming` the supporting-bracket in two parts it is enabled to be secured in place where a bracket of ordinary form could not be used, while it enables the bracket to be cast with all the necessary screwholes, thereby materially cheapening the cost of its manufacture. slide in a bearing, cl2, at the end of a bracket, as represented. rIhe upper end of this bar is formed with a head, e, which engages with the ratchet b3. Between this head and the bearing L2 is arranged area-ctin g spiral sprin g, f, while to the lower end ofthe pawl-bar is attached a cord, g, by which it is disengaged from the ratchetsin releasing the curtain. I3 is a plate, cast with ajourna-l, b1, in the ordinary manner. D is a bracket for supporting this end of the roller, being formed with a notch, d1, asa bearing for the journal. j is a spring-hook, pivoted to the bracket atm., m ade of bent wire, shown in Fig. IV, so as to be capable of being sprung over a projecting lug, k, at the end of the bracket, and thus hold the journal in its bearing after it has been arranged therein. The plates B I are cast with sockets .s to receive the end of the roller. The flanges of these sockets, instead of being made entire, are cast with portions left out, so as to forni spaces s, which expose the wood of the roller and perinit the attachment thereto of the curtain by nailing or otherwise, while a shallow socket is left entire at the base, sufficient to receive the end of the roller, and thereby conceal the joint between the latter and the face of the plate.

E is a bar, fitted so as to The socket is secured to the roller by screws it', as shown. The lower end of the endless cord G is secured in any ordinary manner, so that the curtain may be rolled up or unrolled by pulling on the said cord, the spring-pawl E holding the curtain in whatever position it is adjusted. The curtain is released by pulling the cord attached to the pawl, which disengages it from the ratchets, as heretofore described.

The peculiar construction and arrangement of the pulley, so as to enable the ratchets and journal to be arranged thereon, renders the fixture more compact and ena-bles the curtain to be made of sufficient width to entirely cover the glass, which it is sometimes found quite difficult to accomplish 5 as, for instance, in windows of stores, where all of the available space is occupied by the glass, leaving only a very narrow space for the sash.

I claim as my invention- 1. The sliding pawl bar E a-nd reacting spring f, arranged with the bearing (Z2 of the bracket D, and with ratchets b3 of the end plate B of a curtain-roller, substaiitially as hereinbefore set forth.

2. The construction and arrangement, in the plate B of a curtain-roller, of the pulley4 b, ratchets b3, and journal b1, the pulley project ing outwardly over the latter, as hereinbefore set forth.

3. The springhook j, constructed and arranged with the journal b1, lug 7c, and bea-ring cZ1,-substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

4. In combination with the bracket D provided with' a slot and countersunk recesses h 7L', the ai'igle-plate WV, also provided with a slot and countersunk recesses 1th', constructed so as to enable the bracket I) to be used with or without the angle-plate, according to circumstances, as hereinbefore set forth.

5. The slot H and series of countersunk recesses h 7L formed in the iiange of the bracket, which supports the end of a window-shade roller, to facilitate the proper adjustment ofthe shade, as hereinbefore set forth.

FRANCIS B. SCOTT.

Witnesses:

JNO. J. BoNNnn, GEO. J. METZGER. 

